Supporting beam



1951 R. L. SJOSTROM 2,972,965

SUPPORTING BEAM Filed April 16, 1957 rfi 1 Wlllfllllllllllllllllllllllllll m P J INVENTOR SUPPORTING BEAM Robert L. Sjostrom, Miami Beach, Fla. (Sjostrom Machine Co., 16th St. at 2nd Ave., Boca Raton, Fla.)

Filed Apr. 16, 1957, Ser. No. 653,101

4 "Claims. (Cl. 104-89) The present invention relates to supporting beams particularly adapted for use in machine construction where a carriage or the like is reciprocally. moved along the beams by a chain drive or the like.

There are in existence a variety of machines which operate on the principle of moving a carriage or similar structure back and forth along supporting parallel side members with the motivating power being supplied principally through chain drive. conventionally, I beams, H beams or tubular pipes are utilized as side members. Very often aggregations of various parallel beams, tubes or rails are utilized without much thought given. As a consequence the construction of such side members is substantially more expensive both in labor and material consumption than is normally desirable to the ordinary manufacturer. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a side beam structure which is extremely functional in design and which is particularly adapted for a multitude of different machine constructions utilizingchain drive and carriage-like elements adapted to move back and forth along the side members.

These and other features of the present invention will be more clearly understood when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is an end view of the present invention, and

Figure 2 is a side view of the present invention.

As will be noted from the accompanying drawing, the side beam member is formed of a single piece of suitable metal or similar substance. Preferably this piece of metal may be extruded or bent into the shape illustrated. This member is formed with two vertically extending side members 1 and 2 offset from one another by the horizontal shoulder section 3. Preferably the section 1 is of somewhat greater vertical dimension than section 2. The bottom of section 1 terminates in a substantially U shaped configuration as indicated at 4. This U shaped configuration may comprise the horizontal flange 5, vertical flange 6, and an inwardly extending short lip 7.

The upper end of section 2 terminates in an inverted U shaped section3 having preferably an arcuate bight section 9. The width of this inverted U shaped section 8 is equal preferably to the width of the flange 3. The free end of the inverted U shaped section 8 terminates in an outwardly extending flange 10 having a width preferably suflicient to bring its outer edge 11 into vertical alignment with the upwardly extending flange 6. This free edge 11 extends upwardly into a flange section 12 with the flange section 12 terminating in horizontal alignment with the upper edge of the inverted U shaped section 8.

This particular structure may of course be made in any length and may be provided with openings along its length for various purposes, or with journals for support of sprockets or the like. The thickness of the material is of course dependent upon the particular usage to which the unit is put.

It will be noted that each of llnitead States Patent lee the portions of the present invention has a specific and functional utility. Thus the shoulder section formed by the member 1 and flange 3 provides an engaging section for a leg support such as illustrated at 13. The inverted U-shaped section 8 provides support for carriage wheels as indicated at 14. The flange 19 and U shaped section 4 provide upper and lower guards for a chain extending about a sprocket wheel as indicated at 15. The side member 1 provides a bearing surface in which a journal for a sprocket wheel such as indicated at 15 may be aflixed. The channel member formed by the flanges 10, 12 and outer wall of the inverted U shaped element 8 provide a chain guard for a sprocket chain extending about the sprocket wheel 15. It will be noted that an opening should be provided in the flange 10 through which the sprocket chain passes. The U shaped channel 4 also provides a lower continuous guard for the lower half of the chain. The flange 12 provides a supporting member on which may be mounted limit switches such as is indicated at 16.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture an elongated side supporting beam of unitary structure having a continuous cross section .providing a pair of vertically aligned U- shaped channels, upper and lower vertical parallel sec tions horizontally oflset from one another with the lower edge of said upper section directly connected to the upper edge of said lower section by a horizontally disposed shoulder section, an inverted U-shaped channel having a smoothly contoured upper surface vertically aligned with said shoulder section, one wall of said inverted U-shaped channel formed by and continuous with the upper portion ofsaid upper section and the other wall formed by and continuous with one wall of the upper of said aligned U-shaped channels, and the other of said aligned U-shaped channels connected to the lower end of said lower section.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said inverted U-shaped channel has an arcuately shaped bight.

3. In a machine construction a sprocket and chain, an elongated supporting beam of unitary structure having a continuous cross section providing a pair of vertically aligned U-shaped channels for carrying opposite portions of said chain, upper and lower parallel vertical sections horizontally offset from one another with the lower edge of said upper section directly connected to the upper edge of said lower section by a horizontally disposed shoulder section, an inverted U-shaped channel having a smoothly contoured upper surface vertically aligned with said shoulder section, one wall of said inverted U-shaped channel formed by and continuous with the upper portion of said upper section and the other well formed by and continuous with one wall of the upper of said aligned U-shaped channels, and means pivotally and parallelly securing said sprocket to one of said vertical sections with the upper portion of said sprocket projecting through an opening in the bight of the upper of said U-shaped channels.

4. In a machine construction a sprocket and chain, an elongated supporting beam of unitary structure having a continuous cross section providing a pair of vertically aligned U-shaped channels for carrying opposite portions of said chain, upper and lower parallel vertical sections horizontally offset from one another with the lower edge of said upper section directly connected to the upper edge of said lower section by a horizontally disposed shoulder section, an inverted U-shaped channel having a smoothly contoured upper surface vertically aligned with said shoulder section, one wall of said inverted U-shaped channel formed by and continuous with the upper portion of said upper section and the other wall formed by and continuous with one wall of the upper of said aligned U-shaped channels, means pivotally and .parallellysecuring said sprocket to one of said vertical sections with the upper portion of said sprocket projecting above the bight of the upper of said U-shaped channels,-a carriage Wheel engaging said continuous surface for movement thereon adapted to carry a, carriage, and a side beam supporthaving a portion abutting and engagingly fixed to said shoulder section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Willard Apr. 4, 1916 ,1920 Blomberg June 15, 1937 Mussey Dec. 3, 1940 Clarke et a1. June 16, 1942. Dean Ian. 9, 1945 Hauss Dec. 27, 1955 Leriche Sept. 16, 1958 OTHER "REFERENCES Reynolds Metals Company, Louisville 1, Ky.

(Available in Division 33.) 

